VIENNA.- In his first solo exhibition in Austria, US sculptor and installation artist Oscar Tuazon (*1975 in Seattle) is showing works that relate to the social space and the public. He works with natural and industrial materials such as wood, stone, metal and concrete. Based on architectural approaches and do-it-yourself strategies, he realizes structures that move between functional buildings and sculpture. Many of Tuazon's projects are inspired by alternative and utopian architectures of the 1960s and 1970s and early eco-efficient and self-sufficient living models. Tuazon explores these architectural approaches to test their potential for today, not only in terms of the underlying technological principles, but also in terms of alternative uses of space and models of subjectivity.
The exhibition centers on Tuazon's long-term project, “Water School,” a nomadic architectural structure envisioned as a hub for informal learning and the collective generation of knowledge. Drawing inspiration from the insights of indigenous environmentalists and their ecological knowledge, the project engages with site-specific water policies to foster sustainable and respectful water usage. The architectural structure of “Water School” is inspired by the passive-solar Zome House (1971/72) conceived by eco-pioneers Steve and Holly Baer in New Mexico, featuring a versatile polygonal design that can be adapted to various needs.
Accompanying the exhibition will be a series of discussions addressing the global dynamics and power struggles that govern access to land, water, and infrastructure, as well as exploring eco-efficient and self-sufficient housing models. One of the talks will focus on the significance of water for Vienna, the only city in the world that enshrined the protection of its renowned high-spring drinking water in a constitutional provision in 2001.
Oscar Tuazon (*1975) lives and works in Los Angeles, USA.He studied at the Cooper Union School of Art and completed the Whitney Independent Study Program in New York. In 2011, he designed one of four para-pavilions at the 54th Venice Biennale. Selected solo exhibitions: Bergen Kunsthall, Kunst Museum Winterthur, Kunsthalle Bielefeld (2023); Place Vendōme, Paris, Skulptur Projekte Münster (2017); Museum Ludwig, Cologne (2014); Schinkel Pavillon, Berlin (2013); The Power Station, Dallas (2011); ICA, London, Kunsthalle Bern, Künstlerhaus Stuttgart (2010); Seattle Art Museum (2008); Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2007).
